2 red wolf pups euthanized at NC Zoo

The North Carolina Zoo said Friday that two critically endangered American red wolf pups died recently.

The pups, Hurricane and Typhoon (Ty), were part of a pack of five born April 15 at the zoo under the American Red Wolf Recovery Program. The zoo has been part of American Red Wolf Recovery Program since 1994.

On Tuesday, zookeepers discovered two pups had received traumatic injuries. Zoo and veterinarian staff decided to humanely euthanize them based on quality of life factors. Staff determined the father caused the injuries, but the cause of the parental aggression is unknown.

North Carolina Zoo welcomes five red wolf pups

“Red wolves are wild animals. Their behaviors cannot always be predicted,” said Chris Lasher, animal management supervisor at the zoo and species survival plan coordinator for the American red wolf. “Even though this pair have had pups in the past and we had observed good parenting skills from both mom and dad with this litter, the father wolf caused traumatic injuries to two of the pups.”

Lasher said staff took as many precautions as possible.

“One of the reasons that these pups are being raised in a quiet, off-viewing area is to try and prevent this type of incident,” Lasher said. “But even with these precautions, we are not always successful in preventing these types of losses that are known to occur in both the wild settings and for wolves under human care.”

Veterinary staff members are conducting pathology tests to determine the health status of the pups at the time of death.

North Carolina Zoo Director Pat Simmons said the deaths are a tough loss for the zoo and for red wolf advocates. The staff is heartbroken by the loss, Simmons said.

"The North Carolina Zoo is deeply committed to red wolf conservation,” said Roger Sweeney, general curator for the zoo. “While a setback like this is difficult for our team to experience, the three remaining pups represent an important step forward for the species. We remain focused on fighting to preserve a place for this iconic American species.”

The remaining pups, Thor, Thunder and Oklahoma (Oakley), remain healthy and active and are continuing to be monitored daily. They are the offspring of Ayita, a female that is also healthy and active, and Finnick, both 6 years old. Finnick was relocated to give the remaining puppies the best chance of survival.

The loss brings the zoo’s pack to 21.

The American red wolves are part of the zoo’s breeding program with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Saving Species from Extinction, or SAFE. The wolves are in a large, behind-the-scenes breeding area within the zoo’s 2,600 acres and have minimal contact with humans. Zookeepers check on them daily to monitor their general health and well-being.